Students team with top firms

STUDENTS have worked on promotional materials for Mini, who supported their exhibition with a new Mini Coupe.

Published:11:00Saturday 06 September 2014

STUDENTS at a Hartlepool college are getting the chance to work on design projects for some of the biggest names in business.

Names such as Mini UK, Penguin Books, and EDF Energy are known across the country.

But they’re especially well known at the Hartlepool College of Further Education where art and design students are getting to work on projects for the famous names.

Art and design staff at Hartlepool College of Further Education have been making exciting connections with the household names to offer their students a chance to work on real world design projects and gain invaluable practical experience.

The link-up has happened as part of the Art and Design program of study for Level 3 and Foundation Degree, design students.

Staff at the college say the students are gaining essential commercial experience by getting to work on live client briefs, as well as a chance to compete in national and international competitions.

Keith Bradley, head of the College’s School of Design, Multimedia and IT, explained why it was so important for the students to have this opportunity.

“Live briefs and commercial engagement opportunities are a vital part of our creative development program, ensuring that our students experience, absorb and establish the professional skills required to succeed within their desired field.”

Students have produced work for prestigious brands such as Mini UK, EDF Energy, Penguin Books, Tempo and Relentless Drinks, as well as exhibiting artwork within Leeds Art Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery in London.

Officials at the college say they are building on this huge success, by establishing and growing its links with big name brands such as Mini UK, Ruroc, the BBC, Aston Martin Workshop and Asda Living in the next year.

Keith added: “Our Art and design students will be producing commercial level work across a multitude of creative disciplines, including branding, graphic design, illustration, product design, interactive media, architecture and textiles”.

He said the work spanned “a diverse range of business sectors. Our learning environments are structured and operated in line with commercial design studio expectations, providing students with a real, dynamic and creatively engaging experience.”